In Cape Town, South Africa, most well-known car rental companies offer similar rates, similar cars, and there isn’t much product differentiation. Avis is a familiar name, but the decisive factor to use this company was the fact that customers can get an instant quote online. This online service is something other companies do not offer, as they usually reply by email several hours later or the next day.

Cape Town is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with truly spectacular coastal towns and roads, making it almost a necessity to rent a car. Renting a car offers the tourist infinite freedom to come and go as they please, as opposed to going on a bus tour, on a fixed schedule.

Booking Online

As easy as 1-2-3! Avis Southern Africa is part of Avis’s global online, real-time reservations system and when the on-line reservation is complete, the customer is guaranteed to receive the car of choice, at the rate quoted online. There were no surprises at the time of pick-up in Cape Town International Airport. In spite of the fact that our Amex card number was taken at the time of reservation, they only billed the card after we signed the rental contract.

Picking up the Car

The ladies at the airport counter were very friendly, worked really fast, and we were out of there in about 10 minutes. We were offered an upgrade for about $50 more, but we declined.

The walk from the terminal to the Avis parking lot takes about five minutes, and at present there is extensive construction taking place, so it may take a little bit of maneuvering the baggage cart to get there. Once the Avis guys spotted us, they took our baggage cart, found our car, loaded the bags, and answered our questions about the car. We were surprised at the fact that our two 27” bags fit perfectly in such a small trunk.

The car was in excellent condition, it was clean and shiny, and we had a full tank of gas. When we left the parking lot it was raining, so with the windows rolled up, we didn’t hear that the brakes squealed a lot.

The brakes proved to be embarrassing when we approached our beautiful hotel; everyone stopped to look to see what was making so much noise; the next day the hotel parking lot attendant said the VW Chicos are known for their noisy brakes! We grew used to the noisy brakes, and it made us laugh every time we approached our elegant hotel.

A Word about Car Models Abroad

It goes without saying that car models found in the US may not be found overseas, so when making a reservation it pays to research the car model you reserve (unless it’s a known luxury vehicle, of course). I selected “the” most economical car offered in Group A, which is called the VW Chico, and also known as the CitiGolf. The minute photo looked like a Golf model, but what we got appeared more like a 1990’s car, albeit in very good condition; the owner’s manual revealed that it was only a 2007 model!

The VW Chico is obviously Volkswagen’s no frills model made in South Africa for the African market. The style of the car, we were told, has not changed in the last 12 years, and it comes only with manual transmission, no air conditioner, no power steering, and no electronic anything. I don’t recommend renting this model during the Summer, as it does get very hot in South Africa, but it worked very well for us this past July (winter in the Southern Hemisphere). In spite of its humble appearance, this little car performed admirably, even in hilly terrain!

It turns out that this model is very economical, and in spite of the fact that we drove nearly 1,000 kilometers, we only filled up the tank twice.

Car Rental Details

Rental period:

Seven days, at the rate of 1,553.00 ZAR (approx. US$200).

The above price included:~ Local Tax (TAX)
~ Collision Damage Waiver* (CDW)
~ Theft Protection** (TP)
~ Rental Contract Fee
~ Airport/city/other surcharge
~ Free mileage up to 1,200 kilometers (additional kms is billed at 1.70 ZAR per km).
~ One time charge of 150.00 ZAR (approx. US$20) for an additional driver.

The Avis Cape Town International Airport location is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

*Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) – subject to a deductible of 1,315.79 ZAR.
**Theft Protection (TP) - this covers driver for the theft of the vehicle, with a deductible of 1,315.79 ZAR.

Conclusion

Renting a car from Avis in South Africa is straight forward, without hidden charges or surprises. We were delighted that there were so many perks included in the rental amount, something that is not possible when renting in the US or other world locations.

We were very pleased with the condition of the car (minus the noisy brakes, but they worked!), and the service we received from the staff when we picked up the car, and when we returned it. We will definitely rent again from Avis South Africa.